Pain and Hatred: A Stray Devil's Tale
by SeerKing
Summary: In the Aftermath of his resurrection by Ophis and Big Red, Hyodou Issei finds himself targeted by one of the most powerful Stray Devils in the History of the Rating Game. The Queen of Blood and Betrayal seeks the Boosted Gear for purposes unknown and is powerful enough to threaten the Sekiryūtei. What is her goal? And what is her connection to the Bael Family? IsseixHarem.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DXD.**

"Rias" - Speech

'_Issei_' - Thought

**[BOOST!]** - Sacred Gear Ability/ Ddraig and Albion Speech

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My name is Mei Schwarzwald. I have been known by many names in my short life, chief among them a title I despise for how mistaken and foolish it is.

The Queen of Blood and Betrayal.

In the entire history of the 'Rating Game' System, I am the only 'Queen' piece to have risen up and slain her master, becoming a Stray Devil in the process.

I have seen and experienced much in my life. I have seen the brightest of smiles and the most bitter of tears, alongside deepest hatred and the peak of joy. I have been betrayed by those whom I once trusted and brought low by those whom I respected.

This is my tale, my story, as well as my epitaph. Let us start at the rise of the curtain on the Third Act…

**Prologue: The Beginning of the End**

_Unknown Location_

Nine individuals raced down a corridor that was seemingly carved from basalt, each possessing a look of determination upon their faces. None of them were older than seventeen or eighteen and most of them were beautiful girls.

The one in the lead was a girl with blood-red crimson hair. Rias Gremory.

"Buchou! There's another hall ahead!" a blond-haired bishōnen shouted from his place as point. Yūto Kiba held one of his Holy-Demonic Swords in his hand and a grim glint in his eye.

"Xenovia, Koneko, take point! Rossweisse, cover them." Rias ordered immediately, "Asia, Gaspar and Ravel, you are with me. Kiba and Irina, go wild. Let us blow through our foes and recover my Issei from the witch who has stolen him!"

"Hai Buchou/Rias-sama!" Her Peerage, Irina and Ravel responded variously and shifted their formation as she had directed, finishing just as they entered the hall.

It was enormous, the size of a small football stadium, intricately decorated with fine carvings of countless intertwined dragons. As soon as the last member of the small group stepped over the threshold, a vast array of interlocking hexagonal shields snapped into place behind them, preventing retreat, while another set appeared at the only other exit from the room.

From bitter experience, the Gremory Group knew better than to try and break them down. They absorbed any Demonic or Holy energy that was directed against them, even a combination of the two, such as the Holy-Demonic Swords.

As expected, a large number of Magic Circles the colour of dried blood appeared around them, each bearing the symbol in chess for a Queen piece in the centre.

Emerging from the circles were hunched, winged creatures resembling the classic image of a gargoyle. Each was the size of a small horse and as bulky as an ox. Their four clawed limbs were deceptively wiry and their wings granted them flight.

"These guys _again_?" Xenovia complained as she summoned her blade, Ex-Durandal, from its dimension, "Does that witch seriously think that she can stop us with _these _things?"

"They don't have to stop us." Rossweisse pointed out, "Just slow us down. So far, they've succeeded."

"Not for much longer!" Ravel Phenex snarled, her fiery wings, unique to her family, spread wide, ready to take flight. Fire pooled in her hands as she glared at the beasts that stood between her and her beloved Issei-sama.

"Well said, Ravel-chan." Rias nodded approvingly as the magic she inherited from her mother, a former member of the Bael Family, the Power of Destruction, pooled in her own hands, the red-tinged darkness seething as it fought to be released at Rias' foes, "Let us sweep these creatures away, my adorable servants!"

Needing no further encouragement, the Gremory Group (plus two) attacked the gargoyle army arrayed before them.

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_Throne Room, Unknown Location_

The Throne Room was massive. Twice the size of the hall that the Gremory Group was fighting in, the ceiling rose to such lofty heights that no one could see it unaided.

Of a similar design to Westminster Abby's interior, albeit without the religious iconography or pews. At one end of the room, a truly giant pair of doors carved from interlocking pieces of stone and wood barred entry to the room, each emblazoned with the symbol of the Queen in the centre of them.

On the opposite side of the room, was a magnificent throne that took up the entirety of the wall. Carved from a massive piece of marble, it drew the eye with the carvings drawing ones eye down to the rather modest seat that was the Throne proper and the person who was sat in it.

Currently, the occupant was a tall female with long black feathered hair. She was dressed entirely in black and her face was concealed with a simple facemask. Divided in half vertically, on side was black, the other white, with red outlines around the eyeholes and tear lines in red running from the corners of the eyes to the edge of the mask.

In one hand, she grasped the armrest of the throne, while in the other she held a staff. The staff was perhaps two meters long, seemingly made from interlocking and interconnected pieces of purple and silver metal. Attached to the top of the staff was an arc of silver, inside of which floated a small orb. Close examination shows that it is a model of the planet Earth.

Put together, both staff and wielder presented a rather intimidating sight that was further compounded by the aura of barely concealed power that they both extruded. An ordinary human would be rendered insensate just by being near her.

The sharp eyes of the female, barely visible through her mask's eyeholes, were currently locked on a screen floating in midair to one side of the throne. It was showing the Gremory Group cutting a swathe through her army of gargoyles like a hot knife through butter.

She winced at the on-screen images of Xenovia bisecting a gargoyle in twain vertically from groin to crown, Koneko smashing through a dozen in seconds with inhuman strength, Irina freezing one solid with an Ice-attribute Holy-Demonic Sword and Kiba ripping a whole slew of gargoyles to pieces using **[**Blade Blacksmith**]**, countless swords cutting them to ribbons from below.

The attention of the female honed in on Rias Gremory slaughtering her gargoyle minions with The Power of Destruction. The marble armrest of her throne groaned as her hand clenched it in anger.

"Troubled?"

The male voice drew her attention from the screen as she turned to look at the speaker, who was standing in the shadow of a nearby pillar.

"No, merely…vexed with myself." the female corrected him as she returned her attention to the screen. Her voice was soft and cultured, sounding like that of an aristocrat.

"I knew that the Gremory Group was immensely powerful." she continued after a moment, "I knew my gargoyles would only barely be able to even delay their advance and yet…this surprises me. I should have strengthened them before carrying out my plan because this is somewhat embarrassing for me."

She gestured at the orgy of destruction taking place on the screen, making the man chuckle.

"Then again, you ended up not needing to do that, ne…Mei-chan." he said teasingly.

Mei glared at him for a moment before returning her gaze to the screen, where the Gremory Group had finished wiping out the gargoyles and was now proceeding to exit through the opposite entrance to the one through which they had entered.

"At this rate, they'll be here in less than five minutes." Mei mused, "Time to get set up then."

She rose gracefully from her throne and looked at the man leaning against the pillar.

"Ready?" she asked.

"I am."

"Let's get to it then."

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_Five Minutes Later…_

_Outside the Throne Room Doors…_

The Gremory Group stood in front of the massive doors emblazoned with the symbol of their enemy.

Kiba whistled. "Buchou, these doors must be at least ten meters tall and four meters wide…each."

"Stand back, my servants." Rias said as she strode forwards. She concentrated and created a truly massive ball made of the Power of Destruction. It was bigger than anything she had ever made with her own power.

With a snarl, she hurled it at the doors which, being only stone and wood, were destroyed in an instant.

Amid the destruction, the group of Devils and sole Angel rushed into the Throne Room.

Studiously ignoring the vastness of the room, Rias' gaze fell upon the woman sitting casually, yet regally, on the throne on the opposite side of the room.

"_**Mei Schwarzwald!**_" the Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess snarled as she prepared to attack.

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**Next Chapter: The First Turn**

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	2. First Move

**Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DXD.**

"Rias" - Speech

'_Issei_' - Thought

**[BOOST!]** - Sacred Gear Ability/ Ddraig and Albion Speech

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**To know Pain and to know Hatred are requirements of being alive. This much I know for a fact. I have borne the hatred of Heaven, the Underworld and those who reside on Earth for Four years and yet I still move on.**

**I have felt the pain of loss more often than I care to remember, as well as more mundane physical pain. Yet I still advance. Why, you might ask. Why put myself through such torment?**

**Because I must. Because those that have gone before me will not allow me to rest until I have completed my goals. And I ****will**** complete them, come hell or high-water.**

**-Mei Schwarzwald, the Queen of Blood and Betrayal.**

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**Chapter 1: The First Turn**

_One Month Previously, Three Weeks after Shalba Beelzebub's Attempt to Destroy the Underworld _

_After School…_

_Occult Research Club's Clubroom, Old School Building, __Kuō_ _Academy_

"We're all here, Buchou." Akeno announced as the members of the Occult Research Club settled down into the chairs and sofa's scattered around the room.

"I think Rias-Buchou's a bit busy, Akeno-sama." Ravel pointed at one Rias Gremory sitting and holding one Issei Hyōdō whilst staring into his eyes. It should be noted that the young Phenex scion was looking at Issei wistfully as she spoke.

"Ara, ara." the Vice-President smiled, "Rias, you can make-out with Issei-kun later. Your Onii-sama is due to arrive any minute now, remember?"

"Spoilsport." the Gremory Heiress pouted at her Queen, "Very well. Now, my adorable servants, my Onii-sama, Sirzechs Lucifer, is going to drop by to inform us of something. The Sitri Group will be joining us, as will Sona's Nee-sama, the Maō Serafall Leviathan. Where is Azazel-sensei?"

"He said something about having to go to Grigori HQ." Kiba volunteered, "He looked pretty worried."

"Damn, don't tell me that the Khaos Brigade is gearing up for _another_ attack." Issei groaned, "Seriously, we've beaten Vali's group, the Old Maō Group _and_ the Hero Faction! Why can't they take a hint!?"

"Some people are idiots, Issei." Rias said comfortingly, "Hopefully, it isn't the Khaos Brigade. Maybe a particularly strong Fallen Angel has gone rogue?"

"Michael-sama hasn't mentioned anything to me about anything like that." Irina piped up.

"…self-proclaimed Angel." Xenovia muttered just loud enough for Irina to hear.

"I'm a real Angel! I'm Michael-sama's [Ace]!" Irina wailed, "Issei-kun, Xenovia's being mean!"

"N-Now Xenovia, Irina, calm down." Issei calmed them both down at length.

"Still…why would Serafall-sama be coming along?" Asia asked as she sat next to Issei, lightly flushing at being so close to her.

"Who knows." the Gremory Princess replied with a shrug as she retook her own seat on Issei's other side, "Issei, is there any problems with the _**[Boosted Gear]**_ with Ddraig asleep?"

"I can use the basic abilities of the _**[Boosted Gear]**_, as well as the basic Balance Breaker, but _**[Illegal Move Tríaina]**_, as well as _**[Cardinal Crimson Promotion]**_ are beyond me right now." Issei replied, "Ddraig put too much of himself into keeping my soul inside of the _**[Boosted Gear]**_, as well as the energy we expended combining with Big Red."

"Well, now that you have overcome the need for a countdown to activate it, as well as the time limit, the _**[Boosted Gear: Scale Mail]**_ will be plenty strong enough to fend off any but the strongest enemies, Issei-sama." Ravel put in.

"Arigato, Ravel-chan." Issei smiled at her, making the High-Class Devil flush bright red.

"Humph. I-It isn't like I needed to tell you that." the girl muttered, showing exactly why she was classed as a Tsundere by her brother, Riser.

"Ah, there's my brother's Magic Circle now." Rias said in relief as the magic circle of the Gremory Family appeared in the space set aside for such things.

Grayfia, Sirzechs's Queen and wife, appeared in the circle before stepping out and nodded a greeting to the Gremory Group.

"Rias-sama, it is good to see you well." she said with a calm look on her face, "Issei Hyōdō, have you recovered from your exertions in the Dimensional Gap?"

"Not fully; Ddraig is still down for the count." Issei said with a gesture at his left arm, where his Sacred Gear appeared from.

"I see…where is the former Governor-General of the Fallen Angels?" she asked as her eyes darted around the room.

"He's gone to Grigori HQ." Kiba informed her, "He looked very serious."

"Hardly surprising." Grayfia said with a sigh, "The meeting will be held in the Student Council Office. Sirzechs's Peerage are setting up a barrier around the school as we speak, so we should be secure. Follow me and keep together."

"Grayfia, is there something wrong?" Rias asked her sister-in-law in concern.

"Grigori HQ was attacked yesterday by a Stray Devil of immense power." the grey-haired woman replied, "We should start moving now."

The Gremory Group was shocked. A _Stray Devil _had attacked the Headquarters of the Fallen Angels? How was that possible? Stray Devils had no control over their powers, having betrayed and killed their Masters. Fallen Angels should be able to handle one without any kind of trouble.

They followed Grayfia from the building and they noticed the telltale signs that a powerful barrier was in place, keeping any regular human out of the campus, as well as obscuring the happenings within the campus from sight.

"That is a far more powerful barrier than what was used for the Three Factions Peace Conference." Rias said in an undertone to Issei.

"What reason would they have for using a barrier more powerful than that one?" Issei asked with a frown.

There was no answer to be had as they entered the main school building and headed towards the Student Council Room. Grayfia rapped on the door smartly and was let in by Sōji Okita, Sirzechs' Knight and Kiba's former Sword Instructor.

"Any trouble?" he asked quietly.

"None." Grayfia replied with a shake of her head, "Has everyone arrived?"

"Hai, although Serafall-dono is…somewhat overly concerned for Sona-sama's safety." Sōji replied quietly.

As the Gremory Group entered the room, they saw Serafall Leviathan, one of the Four Maō, standing over her sweatdropping little sister, Sona Sitri, with her staff out and ready to blast whoever came near the Kuō Academy Student Council President with her powerful Ice Magic.

"Looks like whatever's going on has Serafall-sama worried." Rias mused, "Onii-sama!"

Sirzechs Lucifer, Rias' elder brother looked up from the conversation he was having with his Bishop, MacGregor Mathers and looked relieved to see his little sister.

"Rias. Good to see that you're alright." he said with a relieved smile on his face, "Issei Hyōdō. Akeno. Good to see that you are both alright as well."

"Sirzechs-sama, what's going on?" Issei asked.

"As I'm sure Grayfia informed you, the Grigori Headquarters was attacked yesterday by a Stray Devil of immense strength." the Maō Lucifer stated grimly, "This would ordinarily not be an issue, were it not for two factors. First, the Headquarters Complex was almost empty, barring a skeleton staff. Secondly, the Stray Devil in question was no ordinary Stray Devil."

"Huh?" was all Issei could say to that.

"As you might imagine, most Stray Devils are Pawns, Knights, Bishops and Rooks." Sirzechs said, "Ones who sought greater power and slew their master in order to obtain it. The Evil Piece within them then goes berserk after a certain period of time without a master, mutating their body to reflect the darkness within them."

The Gremory Group nodded. This was common knowledge they had all learned shortly after being reincarnated as Devils.

"Tell me, how many cases of Stray Devils have you ever heard of that were formerly Queen pieces?" Sirzechs asked.

"None." Rias replied, "Queen pieces are chosen with greater care than most of the other Evil Pieces. Usually, a Devil's Queen piece is the single most loyal member of their Peerage and one that is in turn trusted far above the others…although I trust all of my adorable servants equally. I'd be happy to leave my life in any of their hands."

"Buchou…!" Gasper teared up at this declaration.

"An admirable sentiment." her older brother said with a nod, "Sadly, there is one. A Queen who slew not only her master, but almost the entirety of the rest of her peerage at the same time."

A horrified gasp erupted from the members of the Gremory Group.

"Wh…why…?" Rias gasped in horror, her hands flying to Issei's seeking comfort, which he willingly gave his girlfriend and master.

"We don't know." the elder Gremory shook his head sadly, "She didn't stick around after killing them. She _did_ steal the bodies of her former Peerage mates though. Later, we discovered that she stole their Sacred Gears and took them for herself somehow."

Asia squeaked and trembled as she remembered being killed by the Fallen Angel Raynare for exactly that purpose, so the cruel Fallen Angel could use her _**[Twilight Healing] **_Sacred Gear for her own ends.

Issei's hand snaked around her waist, pulled her close to him and the blond ex-nun sighed contentedly as she felt the familiar sensation of safety that Issei always projected to her. As long as he was around, no one would steal kill her for her Sacred Gear ever again.

"But…once its wielder dies, the Sacred Gear should move on to its next host!" Rias protested in confusion, "How could she have gotten her hands on them after they died?!"

"She was a powerful magician and a genius prodigy at magic before she was reincarnated as a Devil." Sirzechs replied, "If anyone could figure it out, she could."

"What…what happened at the Grigori HQ?" Gasper asked shakily. He had spent some time there and hoped all the people who had tried to help him with his Sacred Gear, _**[Forbidden Balor View]**_ before Issei-senpai returned from the Dimensional Gap.

"The building itself has been brought to the point of structural collapse, according to Governor-General Shemhazai." Grayfia reported, "We have not received any casualty reports as of yet, however."

"What we do know is disturbing and more than slightly puzzling." Sirzechs added, "She somehow infiltrated the Underworld, bypassed the barrier surrounding the HQ complex and wreaked havoc in the complex before she escaped, stealing something from the Grigori in the process."

Before he could elaborate, Azazel appeared in a flash of light from a magic circle. The usually laid back man was grim and haggard.

"Azazel-sensei." Issei looked at him in concern, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Issei-kun." the former Governor-General of Grigori said with a tight smile, "My former subordinates are not doing so well, however."

"What are the casualties?" Sirzechs asked intently.

"All Fallen Angels who were within the HQ have suffered at least one broken bone in combat with the Stray Devil with some, the actual guards, suffering multiple breaks as well as concussions." Azazel growled, "Remarkably, there were no fatalities. Most of the personnel will need some help to fully recover. Rias, might I borrow the powers of your Bishop, Asia Argento?"

"Of course." Rias said with a nod, "Akeno-"

"I'm afraid that neither your Queen nor Issei-kun will be permitted to leave, Rias." Sirzechs said firmly, "You can't go either."

"…Fine. Rossweisse?" the Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess directed her former Valkyrie Rook, "Kiba, you go as well. Render what aid you can, but guarding Asia is your top priority."

"Hai Buchou/Rias-sama." the two she named responded immediately.

"Asia, go but be careful." Rias continued, "No running off. Go there, heal them and come back to me, alright?"

"Hai, Buchou." Asia nodded determinedly.

Azazel empowered a magic circle tot take them to Grigori HQ and the three vanished in a flash of light.

"Why is it that you are acting hyper protective of me, Onii-sama?" Rias asked with a frown, "Even Serafall-sama is going above an beyond her usual level of devotion to Sona here."

"Thank you for noticing, Rias." Sona deadpanned. Her Peerage chuckled in the background. Even they weren't allowed near their Master with Serafall on guard.

Sirzechs sighed. "The Stray Devil that is at the heart of this incident was once considered as a candidate for being a Queen for one of you two."

Sona and Rias' eyes widened at this revelation.

"Fortunately, you both acquired suitable Queens by the time she was reincarnated into a Devil, so it was a moot point." Sirzechs said grimly, "The girl had nowhere to go, so she was put into the Peerage of a researcher of the Bael Family. Roll on six years and she kills him and the rest of her peerage before fleeing. A day later, she returns and slays the guards at the Bael Family Mausoleum before stealing the corpses of all of her former Peerage barring the King. Then…she all but vanished. That was three years ago."

"We imposed a media blackout of what happened." Grayfia said softly, "Only the Four Maō, their peerages, as well as the Heads of the Seventy-Two Pillars Families, even know about the incident. The sole person outside of that circle who knows about the details of the incident is Sairaorg Bael, and that is because he attempted to stop her from fleeing the first time."

"'Attempted' to stop her? You don't mean…?" Issei said with disbelief.

"That's right. Three years ago, Sairaorg fought against her…and lost." Grayfia said gravely.

This revelation took Issei aback. He and Sairaorg had had to go all out in order to determine the victor between them and Issei could safely say that he had only fought stronger opponents when it was Sirzechs or Tannin. That this Stray Devil had defeated him just after murdering her Peerage and Master…was more than slightly worrisome.

"Do we know what it was she stole?" Rias asked quietly.

"We're a little too debilitated to check the records." Azazel replied, "Hopefully Rossweisse will be able to help strengthen the building before it collapses. Then we'll be able to search through the records for what it was that was stolen."

"But…why now? Why attack the Fallen Angels now of all times?" Issei asked in confusion, "They didn't suffer any casualties in that idiot Shalba's rampage. They only received a handful of casualties, so why attack them?"

"Because we've been running low on personnel." Azazel snorted, "The HQ has never been so undermanned in centuries. We've been sending teams all across the Underworld to help recover from the Bandersnatches and Jabberwocky attacks. She just took advantage of our good will. She's just as cunning as I remember her being."

"Eh? Azazel-sensei, you know her." Irina asked.

"Indeed. Mei Schwarzwald. The Queen of Blood and Betrayal, the only SSS-class Stray Devil in the history of the Rating Game." Azazel said with a shake of his head, "I met her two and a half years ago while I was conducting a recon of a city in Okinawa. She was…sad. Sad and sombre. Wore a mask that covered her entire face. Black and white, split down the middle vertically."

"Did you fight?" Koneko asked quietly.

"No, we agreed that fighting in the middle of a human city was just begging for collateral damage." the Fallen Angel said with a sigh, "She did say that she would like to fight me at some point, if only because she had promised someone close to her that she would do so. She didn't say who and I didn't think it politic to ask."

"The name sounds Chinese AND German." Xenovia muttered.

"Before she was reincarnated as a Devil, Mei was a Chinese/German human, who lived in Nagoya with her mother." Sirzechs said quietly, "She witnessed her mother's murder and awoke her Sacred Gear, slaughtering all of the people who killed her mother."

"Such a thing…" Rias was appalled.

"I suspect that that incident contributed to her descent into insanity." Sirzechs sighed, "Sadly, it seems insanity has not dulled her intellect by any degree."

"Quite." Grayfia said, "Over the past three years, there have been a few sightings of her, flitting between China, Germany and Japan, as well as a couple of times in the Underworld Never before has she revealed herself quite so openly. Not only that, she has stated her eventual goal…the **[Boosted Gear]**."

"WHAT!?" Rias snarled, an aura of demonic energy surrounding her as she clung to Issei, "She dares target my darling Issei?! I will not permit it!"

The faces of the rest of the Gremory Group took on expressions of steely determination as they nodded in agreement. Irina had to clamp down on her holy aura, otherwise it would hurt her friends. Xenovia felt EX-Durandal shiver as it felt her own bloodlust rise. Small tendrils of lightning crawled across Akeno's body as she felt her anger spike. Ravel started muttering under her breath and flexing her hands as if she were throttling someone. Koneko merely walked over to the unoccupied side of Issei and clung to him lightly with a muttered, "Senpai isn't going anywhere."

"As I said, her goal isn't Issei-san in and of himself, it is his Sacred Gear." Grayfia said softly, "Likely she will attempt to extract it should she capture him."

"That shall not come to pass." Rias Gremory had never spoken like that to her sister-in-law, but the dark, angry tone was clearly directed at Mei Schwarzwald rather than Grayfia.

"That's why we are here, Rias." Sirzechs said comfortingly, "All we can do right now is wait to be told what it was she stole. Azazel, is there any security camera footage of her attack?"

"Thought you'd never ask, Sirzechs." the Occult Research Club Advisor said. He raised the artificial arm that had replaced his left arm after sacrificing it against Katerea Leviathan and ejected a disk from the palm of his hand and passed it to Grayfia, "I think we should show Rias' group exactly what we're up against."

In short order, a large-screen TV was pulled from somewhere (_What kind of budget did the student council have?_, Issei was forced to wonder) and soon, the disc was showing the relevant camera images of the attack from the previous day.

It was unreal. One minute, the corridors of the Grigori HQ were empty, the guards bored and the few personnel busy with paperwork, the next minute a tall black-haired girl wearing pitch-black robes and a black and white mask was striding down the corridors of the building and smashing the Fallen Angel guards and personnel as if they were ordinary humans. She barely even moved her hands, and she put down three guards like they were nothing.

"How is she doing that?" Issei muttered, "It looks…familiar, somehow…"

"Gravity Magic." Serafall said, "She is capable of using extremely powerful Gravity Magic on a more powerful scale to the Sacred Gear _**[Gravity Jail]**_. While that Sacred Gear requires line-of-sight in order to work, Mei's magic has no such limitation. Look."

On the screen, a Fallen Angel tried to attack the masked girl from behind, with a spear of light, only to be crushed to the ground with a negligent jerk of her head.

"Her control is excellent." Sirzechs commented, "She has come a long way in three years."

"Truly." Grayfia agreed, "I wonder why she wears the mask though? That display of Gravity Magic leaves no doubt as to who she is, so why?"

"What do you mean, Grayfia-san?" asked Issei, "Is Gravity Magic so rare?"

"In the last millennium, less than a dozen have mastered Gravity Magic." MacGregor said quietly, "In this world, three attributes reign supreme over all of the others, other than demonic and holy power. In order of strongest to weakest these three are Time, Space and Gravity. Sacred Gears such as _**[Dimension Lost]**_ and _**[Gravity Jail]**_ are highly prized because they bypass the need to study the related magics. Devils and Angels can use the Dimensional magic with ease because we possess incredible longevity and have the time to study them completely. For a human magician to master Gravity Magic is the next best thing to impossible, for a Devil it is possible, but most prefer flashier magic like lightning or fire. And yet…"

Grayfia took it from here. "…and yet Mei was well on the way to mastering Gravity Magic before she was reincarnated. She is what most would refer to as a prodigy among prodigies. Had she not gone insane, she would be High-Class Devil right now."

"Eeeeeeh?!" most of the Gremory Group was shocked at this. Promoting from a Low-Class Devil to a Mid-Class was one thing, but this was another!

"You'll want to hear this part." Azazel said grimly. He fiddled with the control as the woman on screen licked up one of the badly beaten guards.

"_Tell me what I wish to know and I will let you and your men live." _the voice of the girl was icy and blunt, but at the same time distorted, as if she wore a voice changer of some sort.

"_Damn…Devil…!" _the hapless Fallen Angel struggled fruitlessly in her hands.

"Stray_ Devil." _the girl corrected, _"Now. Where is Project Fallen Terra?"_

"_Wh…how do you…?"_ the Fallen Angel gasped in shock.

"_Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies."_ the girl sounded amused, _"Now, tell me where it is?"_

"_Like…I'd know!" _the guard gasped, _"I'm a guard!"_

"_True enough." _she acknowledged, _"You do know all of the high security areas in this building, however, being the Guard Commander. Tell me that knowledge and you and your men shall live. Decide now."_

The conflict on the man's face was plain, but he eventually gave in and told her the three High Security locations in the buildings that only the leaders of the Grigori, the Cadre, could access.

"_Not that you'll be able go get in!"_ he finished with a snarl.

The masked visage of the Stray Devil tilted to one side slightly as if to consider this. _"Perhaps, perhaps not. I must commend you for your common sense. Not many would consider their subordinates lives to be worth more than what they guard. Now, I bid you goodnight."_

She released the man and then smashed him to the ground with another blast of Gravity Magic, making the poor man slip into merciful unconsciousness.

"That was…brutal." Akeno shook her head. She was a Sadist, but what the girl had done was just outright cruelty, forcing him to choose between his duty and the lives of his subordinates.

"_Now then…first Project Fallen Terra…"_ the girl said aloud, _"Then the Sekiryūtei's __**[Boosted Gear]**__. Once I have those, I can finally fulfil my heart's desire…"_

She walked off the camera and the image abruptly cut out.

"That's all we have." Azazel said with a frustrated sigh, "The battle that the guards of the restricted sections waged against her damaged the surveillance systems. All three secure areas are in such a mess that we don't even know what was taken and what was just messed up. Chazaqiel was organising the clean up when I left."

"Doesn't the Project name ring a bell?" Sirzechs asked.

"Just that the one responsible for it was one of Kokabiel's subordinates that perished not long ago." Azazel shrugged, "He was a warmonger, so it was likely something deadly, defective or both."

"And for all we know, she took it. Great." Sirzechs said with a sigh.

"Oh, Kokabiel and his supporters had a separate Lab Complex for their experiments." the former Governor-General replied, "Once he was consigned to Cocytus, Kokabiel's followers abandoned their research and returned to the Grigori HQ. For all we know, Project Fallen Terra might still be there."

"Where is the facility?" Sirzechs asked, "Whatever it is that Mei seeks must be kept out of her hands at all costs."

"Well…that's the thing. It's a flying airship of some sort that flies at completely random paths in the Human World." Azazel chuckled nervously, "All those so-called UFO sightings that were reported? That's the airship. After it was abandoned, it maintains a holding pattern at the very centre of the Geomagnetic North Pole."

"But…that changes position every year." Rias put in, "Do you mean the place where the Pole was when the airship was abandoned or the current location of the Geomagnetic North Pole?"

"Yes." Azazel said blandly.

"You haven't a clue, do you Azazel-sensei?" Issei asked rhetorically.

"Well…I suppose it doesn't matter much." Rias sighed, "It ought to be easy to discover the location of the Geomagnetic Pole at the time Kokabiel was incarcerated. It only shifts between thirty-seven and fifty-five miles a year, so if we find the spot where it was, the airship should be within a few miles of it."

"…did I mention the optical camouflage and the spell arrays that attack all non-Fallen Angel presences that approach it?" Azazel asked sheepishly.

"You did leave that part out." Sirzechs remarked dryly, "Any _other_ titbits of information that might have fallen by the wayside?"

"No, not at this moment." Azazel said whimsically.

Just then, a magic circle appeared, making Sōji, silent until then, to place his hand on his katana's hilt, ready to draw his blade in case it was an intruder. Seeing that it was a Gremory magic circle did nothing to make him lower his guard.

Only after Asia, Rossweisse and Kiba appeared, with no other people with them did the master swordsman remove his hand from his blade.

"Buchou! Azazel-sensei!" Kiba said urgently, "One of the Grigori's mobile research labs in Canada has been attacked!"

Rias sighed. "The Canadian Artic, I presume?"

Kiba was taken aback by this. "Y-Yes. How did you-?"

"A previous discussion." Azazel said with a sigh, "Now then, I had better go and have a word with the rampaging Ojou-sama."

**DXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXD**

**Next Chapter: The Second Move: Gambit**

**DXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXD**


	3. Second Move: Gambit

**Author's Note: Here's Chapter 2. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DXD.**

"Rias" - Speech

'_Issei_' - Thought

**[BOOST!]** - Sacred Gear Ability/ Ddraig and Albion Speech

**DXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXD**

**Azazel…The Governor-General of the Fallen Angels…he and I met while he was scouting a town in Okinawa. I was there to relax.**

**We agreed that it would cause too much damage if we fought, so we parted ways peacefully, although I longed to do battle with him in order to keep a promise, as well as the fact that his well-known fascination with Sacred Gears reminded me far too much of my former master, Amadeus Bael.**

**The desire to fight him was trumped only by my self-control and concern for the people around us. Should we meet elsewhere, where no innocents could suffer…we will clash.**

**-Mei Schwarzwald, the Queen of Blood and Betrayal.**

**DXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXD**

**Chapter 2: The Second Move: Gambit**

_With Azazel, the Canadian Artic, En-Route to Kokabiel's Airship_

Most people who know Azazel class him as a very easy-going kind of guy, despite the fact he is one of the most powerful Fallen Angels. This was a guise he had deliberately cultivated in order to hide his razor-sharp and highly strategic mind.

One facet of Azazel's personality that was relatively unknown to anyone outside of the Grigori or the higher-ranking members of Heaven and the Underworld was that he cared greatly for his subordinates. Half the reason he had sued for peace between the three factions in the first place was so his then-Vice Governor could openly marry his pregnant Devil wife.

Therefore, as he flew at breakneck speeds towards the airship, arrogantly called the_ Morningstar_ by Kokabiel, he was busy cursing himself for not eliminating Mei when he had the chance three years ago. Oh, there were good reasons for not attacking her -innocent lives would be risked in a battle between him and a powerful Stray Devil who somehow managed to resist deforming into a hideous monster- but he still should have taken care of her.

If he had, his former subordinates wouldn't have been injured today. That was the complete and absolute truth. Although he had to wonder at her restraint. Mei had had the chance to utterly slaughter the Fallen within the building, yet she had only dealt just enough damage to disable them and no more than that.

'_This doesn't make sense. If she's so greedy for power that she slaughtered her King and Peerage for it, why is she showing restraint against people she has no reason to hold herself back against?_' Azazel thought with a frown, before shaking his head slightly. The reason didn't matter. All that mattered was getting to Mei and stopping her.

Azazel spotted the _Morningstar_ in the distance. Kokabiel had fashioned the thing to look like the _Hindenburg_, the airship that had caught fire at its moorings in 1937, ending the great airship era. What bad taste.

Several explosions dotted the side of the great airship as a lone figure flew from the wrecked remains of an airlock on the black wings of a Devil.

Reaching inside his shirt, Azazel pulled out a drone that he fiddled with for a moment before tossing it into the air. It fell for a moment before stabilising and floating in midair. A camera lens protruded from one side of the spherical drone and whirred as it focussed on him.

"Now then…." he muttered as he made for the Stray Devil who had attacked his former subordinates, "Time to punish the wilful Ojou-sama."

_With the Gremory Group and Company_

Issei was sitting next to Asia and Rias, with Koneko sitting on 'her' seat, aka his lap. The rest of Rias' Peerage was seated around them, with Sona and her Peerage to one side, Serafall keeping a wary eye out in case someone attacked her sister.

Sirzechs and his Peerage sat to the other side talking quietly amongst themselves. When the large TV flashed into life, all eyes flashed to it as it displayed the image of a burning airship and two figures. One was Azazel, the other was the black-cloaked figure of Mei Schwarzwald, both hovered in midair thanks to their wings.

Mei looked exactly as she had in the security footage, with two exceptions. First, she had her hair tied back into a ponytail to avoid it getting in her face as she flew. Second, she carried a large case easily in one hand.

"Damn! She got it!" Sirzechs cursed.

"The question is, can she keep it though." Grayfia said quietly, but she fell silent as Mei started to speak.

"_Ara, Azazel. Long time no see._" Mei said casually, "_How's the arm? I heard you lost it to Katerea Leviathan._"

"_Hmm…? Oh you mean this?_" Azazel held up his artificial left arm, "_Yes, Katerea was quite stubborn. She even used one of Ophis' Snakes. It still wasn't enough to defeat me._"

"_That matches what I heard._" Mei remarked, "_I was rather disappointed when I heard that you lost your arm. There's no pride in defeating a one-armed opponent, but I see that you used your Sacred Gear research to manufacture a suitable replacement._"

"_Ara…you think that just because I had lost an arm that you could defeat me?_" Azazel asked amusedly, "_You may have defeated Sairaorg Bael, but I am far more powerful than he is. Even short an arm, I would have been more than a match for you._"

"_Sairaorg-sama has grown so strong over the last three years._" Mei mused, "_I watched the Rating Game between him and Rias-Ojou-sama. It was an excellent fight. Is he well?_"

"_He is. From what I hear he handily defeated the descendent of the Hero Heracles during Shalba Beelzebub's attempt to destroy the Underworld._" Azazel replied.

"_Heracles, eh? Well, that's excellent news._" although her face couldn't be seen, it was obvious that she was fond of Sairaorg.

"_Well then…now that we've exhausted polite conversation…is that what you attacked my former subordinates to obtain?_" Azazel asked, becoming serious as he gestured at the box.

"_Indeed it is._" Mei replied as she hefted the box, "_It has a troublesome seal on it, but it's nothing I cannot breech. I do apologise for being rough with your men, but if I am to fulfil my heart's desire, I cannot permit anyone to stand in my way._"

"_Oh?_" Azazel sounded curious, "_And what might your heart's desire be?_"

"_It's a secret._" Mei replied, almost playfully, "_But now I have this, I can start my plan to acquire the_ _**[Boosted Gear]**_ _from the Sekiryūtei. As he is right now, he will not be a major obstacle to overcome._"

"_Underestimating Issei-kun is usually a mistake._" Azazel remarked, "_Plus, the Switch-Princess will not be willing to allow you to kill her boyfriend._"

"Azazel!" Rias shrieked, "Do not call me that! Especially not in front of an enemy!"

Her red face was made worse by Mei actually chuckling at her nickname, given to her by a member of Vali Lucifer's team, Bikō Sun Wukong, after the attack by Diabel Astaroth and Shalba Beelzebub and Issei's subsequent fall into, and recovery from, the _**[Juggernaut Drive]**_.

"_I've seen the dolls, but I never expected people to actually call Rias-Ojou-sama that._" Mei chuckled, "_I suspect she's going to blast you once she sees you again, Azazel._"

"_Such is the life of the Advisor of the Occult Research Club of Kuō Academy._" Azazel shrugged nonchalantly, "_Now, I would appreciate it if you surrendered peacefully. Any chance of that?_"

"_None, I'm afraid._" Mei replied firmly, "_Besides…I have a promise to keep. Pardon me for a moment._"

She snapped her fingers thrice and three Teleportation circles appeared around her, disgorging a trio of…things. They were slate-grey and the size of a carthorse, with spindly limbs and large wings, with the heads of snarling dogs.

"What the heck are those things?" Issei asked.

"Gargoyles." Akeno told him, "A western subspecies of troll. Usually, you don't see them moving, but they can move fairly quickly when they want to."

"_Hmmm…these things _look_ like Gargoyles…but they do not _feel_ like Gargoyles_." Azazel mused, "_Ah-ha. These are Golems, aren't they?_"

"Golems?" Issei was lost again.

"A Magician's construct." MacGregor informed him, "Originally, it was from the Bible…Psalm 136:16, if I remember correctly. We adopted them for simple labour -fetching and carrying, that kind of thing. Traditionally, they are either powered by Shem, a piece of paper with one of the Jewish names for God written on it, placed in its mouth or by having the word 'Emet', or truth, written on its forehead. These have no sign of the latter and, as they are snarling, I can rule out the former."

"If they're simple labour devices, why is she summoning them?" Asia asked in confusion.

"_Attack!_" Mei commanded, much to the shock of those assembled, as well as Azazel. The Gargoyles roared and flew at Azazel with bared fangs and rending talons.

"_Ara…I'm being underestimated._" the Advisor of the Occult Research Club remarked as he created a spear of light. In three quick slashes, the Gargoyles were cleft in twain by Azazel, who looked as relaxed as he did while playing Tekken Tag Tournament.

A flash of light from Mei drew their attention. She was sinking the large box that housed Project Fallen Terra into another Teleportation circle.

"The Gargoyles were only a distraction!" Issei cursed.

"_Now, now…none of that._" Azazel scolded Mei as he sent a large barrage of light spears at her.

With another absent click of her fingers, Mei summoned a flock of Gargoyle golems to block the incoming rain of spears, a task they proved most able to perform. They blocked every single spear that Azazel sent at them.

"_Tch. Pesky things._" Azazel muttered.

"_You're being rather harsh to my poor Golems._" Mei remarked as she flew high above the Gargoyles, who crumbled to dust with a gesture, her hands now empty, "_They try hard, you know._"

"_Do tell how you created them._" Azazel said, "_I cannot see any carvings on them, nor has any parchment or paper fallen from any of the destroyed bodies, so I confess to some curiosity as to how they function._"

"_When I slew my former master, I stole outlines for an Artificial Sacred Gear that he had been working on._" Mei replied, "_Behold the power of the Artificial Sacred Gear __**[Dragon's Tooth]**__, otherwise known as the __**[Blood of Enkidu]**__: unlimited Golem creation._"

"Wait…her former master?" Issei said with a frown, "The researcher from the Bael Family?"

"Amadeus Bael was a Devil who possessed a brilliant mind, although not as much as Azazel's." Sirzechs, "He was fascinated by Sacred Gears, which is why every person in his Peerage, barring one, possessed one, to aid in his research."

"_So…stealing from others is it?_" Azazel asked lazily.

"_Hah! He couldn't complete it. I finished it, so quite a bit of the credit goes to me for figuring out where Amadeus-teme went wrong._" Mei replied with a shrug, "_Now that my hands are free…I can fight you myself._"

"Is she nuts?" Irina asked in confusion, "Does she really think she stands a chance against Azazel-sensei?"

"Mei is quite possibly one of, if not _the_ most powerful Stray Devil in history." Grayfia said softly, "She has a cunning mind and never entered a fight without a plan. If she's challenging Azazel so brazenly, she has a scheme in mind."

"_Oh? So you aren't going to run?_" Azazel sounded honestly amused, "_I survived fighting against the Seraphs, the original four __Maō and the two Heavenly Dragons at their most powerful. Do you seriously think that you can stand against me?_"

"_I can…with the aid of an old friend._" Mei replied confidently. She spread her arms wide before calling out, "_**I invoke the brave soul of Takanome Arisu, my ever faithful Bishop! Your mistress demands your presence!**_"

A blue glow covered her body, before a silver necklace appeared around her neck, a sapphire pendant hanging from it, carved into the shape of a snarling dragon's head.

"The _**[Fangs of the Blue Dragon]**_!" Serafall exclaimed, white with shock.

"What the…I take it that isn't her own Sacred Gear then?" Issei asked.

"No. It originally belonged to her Peerages' second Bishop, Takanome Arisu." Sirzechs replied, "She was a hanyou before being reincarnated as a Devil, half-Yōkai and half-human. Her mother was a Yuki-Onna and her father was a hiker that she rescued on a mountain. Her Sacred Gear is also known as the _**[Frozen Fangs of Purgatory]**_, as the only thing colder than the Ice Magic that it creates is the icy depths of the Cocytus River."

"This is why we're guarding So-chan." Serafall explained, "The Water Magic of the Sitri Family is useless against that Sacred Gear."

"_Using the Sacred Gear of your slain former comrade?_" Azazel asked angrily, "_How low have you fallen?_"

"_You have no idea what you are talking about._" Mei replied, "_You have no idea what my sisters meant to me, what they _still_ mean to me. Now stop talking and fight! __**[Fimbulwinter]**__!_"

A howling gale of ice and wind descended upon Azazel, sending him tumbling in the air, Mei followed up with a barrage of ice spears that Azazel countered with his arms built-in holy light gun.

"_Tricky._" Azazel hissed, "_But not tricky enough!_"

With a gesture from the former Governor-General, Mei was assailed by spears of light from all around her, englobing her for all angles. Mei countered with a globe of ice around her that shielded her from the assault.

"_Only a matter of time before my spears breaks through your armour…_" Azazel chuckled.

"_**[Icicle Assault]**__!_"

From the frozen ground beneath the fighters, a massed array of ice spears flew up to attack Azazel, who dodged them with some difficulty due to the sheer number of them.

Mei took this opportunity to appear via a Teleportation Circle behind Azazel and try to impale him with a sword made of ice, which Azazel blocked with his artificial arm.

"_Schweinehund!_" Mei snarled as she pushed the arm back.

"_Now that wasn't very nice._" Azazel noted as he sent her flying.

Mei recovered from her flight and shook her head. "_I have to say Azazel, you are quite the irritating opponent._"

"I get that a lot." the Fallen Angel shrugged, "_Ready to give up?_"

"_Not quite yet._" Mei replied, "_**[Frost Dragon]**__!"_

With a spike in the already chilly air, the shape of a large western dragon took shape beneath Mei's feet. A long sinuous neck, a pair of massive wings, four sets of razor-sharp talons and a long whip-like tail combined together to form a very scary looking beast that dwarfed Azazel by a considerable margin.

"…crap." Kiba said faintly.

"That dragon is a mere caricature, a shell of a true dragon." Sirzechs said bracingly, "Even empowered by the _**[Fangs of the Blue Dragon]**_, it stands no chance against Azazel. I wonder what she is planning…?"

"_Ara…this is interesting._" Azazel said carefully, "_I can detect some actual draconic power from that Sacred Gear now._"

"_Well, the name of the Sacred Gear _does_ give away the fact it has the power of a dragon inside it._" Mei deadpanned, "_The_ _**[Fangs of the Blue Dragon]**_ _has the power of a Norse Frost Dragon sealed within it. The power only, not the mind._"

"_So you are incapable of using the __**[Juggernaut Drive]**__ or __**[Breakdown the Beast]**__._" Azazel said with a nod, "_Good to know._"

Issei shuddered as the Fallen Angel uttered the name of the forbidden technique he had fallen into after he had thought Shalba Beelzebub had killed Asia. The blond ex-nun noticed his shudder and hugged him in an effort to alleviate his bad memories.

"Thanks Asia." Issei patted her on the head in gratitude.

On the screen, Azazel was dodging tooth, talon and tail from the faux-Frost Dragon, as well as a hail of icicles from Mei. Azazel looked intrigued by this for some odd reason.

"Looks like he's wondering the same thing I am." MacGregor said grimly, "'Why is she not using her Gravity Magic or her own Sacred Gear?'"

"Yes, I have been wondering this as well." Sirzechs agreed, "There is no possible way she could have mastered the _**[Fangs of the Blue Dragon]**_ in a mere three years. What we are seeing is impressive, but hardly the pinnacle of what the previous wielder could accomplish. Arisu was taught personally by Serafall in the use of her Ice Magic."

"Ehhh?! By Serafall-sama?!" Issei gaped at this.

"Eh-he-he!" Serafall grinned, "Arisu-tan was an eager student. Her heritage as a Yuki Onna made the magic of the Sacred Gear even more powerful than normal. No one has ever wielded that Sacred Gear with more skill than her."

"_As fun as this is, you can't beat me at this level of power, Mei._" Azazel remarked as he smashed the head of the Frost Dragon, "_You know that was well as I do._"

"_Indeed. It seems I shall have to raise my game somewhat._" the Stray Devil replied, "_I had hoped that this wouldn't happen for a while, but…oh well._"

Adopting the same pose as when she summoned the _**[Fangs of the Blue Dragon]**_, she called out, "_**Takanome Arisu, by my will and power, I call you forth in my time of need. Fight in my stead and grant me victory!**_"

The blue glow returned and covered Mei's body completely, hiding it from sight. When the light faded, a completely different person stood floating in her place. Wearing a blue yukata with snowflake decorations, long blond hair with blue highlights mixed in fluttering in the breeze. Her black eyes gazed at a stupefied Azazel with a smirk on her face.

"Arisu…tan…?!" Serafall whispered in disbelief at the sight of her former student.

"_Muu…_" the girl on the screen sighed, "_Honestly, Mei no Aneki. You just didn't want to have to fight him anymore, didn't you?_"

"_Mei?_" Azazel asked carefully, "_Is…is that still you?_"

"_I'm not Mei no Aneki._" the girl huffed, "_I'm Arisu. You've been pushing Aneki around without even trying, so she brought me out to fight you. Prepare yourself, Azazel._ _**[Balance Break]**__!_"

"**WHAT?!**" yelled everyone in the room, including Serafall and Sirzechs. On the screen, the Fallen Angel looked stunned as well.

Arisu, at least the being that _claimed to be _Takanome Arisu, was enveloped by an icy wind that ruffled her yukata and made her hair dance in the grasp of the breeze. The form of the necklace changed into a large silver collar, with countless thin and delicate silver chains draped down the front like chainmail. From the back, a long white cape emerged and attached itself to silver bangles and anklets that appeared on her wrists and ankles.

For a moment, all was silent as the wind died down, then Arisu spoke.

"_**[Fangs of the Blue Dragon Balance Breaker]**_…_**[Heart of Frozen Purgatory]**_."

"Impossible…" Serafall whispered, "This is _impossible_…Arisu-chan _died_…I saw the body myself…so how is she there right now using her Balance Breaker?!"

"_**[Frozen Leviathan]**_" Arisu declared. In an instant, a large serpentine creature twice the length of the airship nearby was created. Raising its great maw, the Leviathan roared its defiance to the heavens.

"_This attack was one of the first I created after I gained my Balance Breaker, in honour of Serafall-sensei._" Arisu said as she raised a hand and pointed at Azazel, "_Vanish beneath the icy depths as I decree…__**[Absolute Ice Age]**_."

The leviathan roared and started to circle in the air before unleashing a massive blast of Ice Magic that literally froze everything in its path. Even the air wasn't spared, creating a massive glacier that grew at a frightening speed.

Azazel snapped out of his stupor and launched an endless number of light spears at the growing glacier, shredding it as if he was carving a mountain. As fast as the spears destroyed ice however, the ice just kept growing, relentlessly and inexorably closing in on Azazel.

"_It's pointless to resist, you know._" Arisu remarked as she idly played with her hair with one hand, "_The ice will grow, grow and grow until it swallows its target whole._"

The next minute, she stiffened. "_Damn…at my limit already…aren't you lucky, Azazel…?_" she gasped out as the ice stopped growing and started to crumble, as did the Leviathan, "_I'll retreat for today, but we will fight again!_"

In the flash of a magic circle, Arisu vanished, a look of anger and frustration on her face.

Azazel's voice came over the TV's speakers, sounding irritated. "_Sirzechs, what the hell? How is it that she was not only able to use the Sacred Gear, but also change her appearance and use the Balance Breaker of the previous user?_"

"I have no idea." the Maō Lucifer replied via the microphone he had that linked to the built-in radio on Azazel's artificial arm, "Serafall here is almost catatonic with shock at seeing her former student when she should be dead these last three years."

"_Could she have been cloned?_" Azazel pondered, _"…no, that can't be it. Cloning technology is primitive at best and only creates a body with no soul. The person I just fought definitely had a soul._"

"This can wait until later." Sirzechs sighed, "Get in that zeppelin and find out what it was that she took. We have to know at least that much so we can plan how to protect my future brother in law."

"_On it._" Azazel replied. His image on screen dived into the open airlock that Mei had emerged from as the screen faded to black.

"What the hell is going on!?" Serafall was scowling at the wall, "How was Mei able to do that? An illusion?"

"I would very much like to see an illusion that could affect an angel, even one of the Fallen." Sirzechs shook his head, "Something is more than slightly off here. Grayfia, go to the Bael Family and request the presence of Sairaorg Bael. He spent quite a bit of time with Mei before she went rogue. He was also familiar with Amadeus Bael. If you can, request the presence of the survivor of Amadeus' Peerage from Lord Bael as well."

"Understood." Grayfia nodded before she vanished in a Teleportation Circle.

"Rias, you, Akeno and Issei-kun cannot go out without protection." Sirzechs said seriously.

"He hasn't even taken Rias-Buchou's virginity, let alone mine." Akeno pouted with a teasing glint in her eyes as both Issei and Rias flushed red, "So I think protection won't be needed for a while."

Sirzechs' lips twitched in amusement. "Granted, but I was thinking of guards rather than condoms. You three are not to go anywhere without a pair of guards from your Peerage."

"Onii-sama, I understand why Issei has guards, but why do I and Akeno need guards as well?" the Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess asked.

"In the last three years, there have been numerous attacks against Peerages that have been tentatively attributed to Mei." Sōji replied, "She tests the Queens and crushes the Kings. Almost always, the symbol of the Queen is left at the scene of the crime."

"Why?" Akeno asked with a frown.

"She seems to have taken it upon herself to punish those like Diabel Astaroth, who mistreat their Peerages and collaborate with the Khaos Brigade." Sirzechs replied, "She carries a grudge against Kings and punishes them severely. She tests the Queens and punishes them severely should they fail."

"So…she's been helping the Underworld?" Kiba said slowly as he processed this.

"In a manner of speaking, yes." Serafall said with a frown, "It could be a form of atonement for the murder of her master and Peerage, but regardless of that, what she has done is irredeemable. No act of supplication can ever forgive the transgression of killing her master, let alone her Peerage."

"She called them her sisters." Issei noted, "What was her Peerage like?"

"Allow my companion to answer that, Sekiryūtei." a familiar voice said from the doorway. Standing there was a tall young man with black hair and violet eyes.

"Sairaorg!" Issei greeted his rival/friend warmly.

"It is good to see you, Sekiryūtei." Sairaorg said with a smile, "I hear that your _**[Boosted Gear]**_ is disempowered."

"Ah…yeah…" Issei materialised the red gauntlet on his left arm, "I can use the basic abilities and the basic Balance Breaker, but not the techniques I used against your Peerage or you."

"That isn't a good thing when your opponent is Mei." Sairaorg said grimly, "Has your body recovered from your resurrection?"

"Pretty much." Issei replied, "Why?"

"I'll start training you." the man declared, "If your Sacred Gear isn't up to scratch, I'll increase your basic physical abilities. If nothing else, you'll last longer against her once Ddraig recovers."

"Yeah, but who knows how long that will take?" Issei sighed as he dismissed the _**[Boosted Gear]**_, "I mean, has there ever been a case of this happening in the past? Of one of the Two Heavenly Dragons overusing their powers and sleeping within their Sacred Gears?"

"To the best of our knowledge, no." Sirzechs admitted, "Usually the wielder uses up their life-force and sanity long before the _**[Divine Dividing]**_ and _**[Boosted Gear]**_ even come close to approaching their limits. Perhaps Azazel will have an idea once he gets back. In any case, you should all hear Mei's story from one who knew her. Sairaorg, did she come?"

"Yes. She should be here in a moment." the Heir to the Bael Family replied, "She wasn't happy to hear about Mei."

"Understandable." Sirzechs sighed.

A girl walked into the room just then. She had long brown hair tied into a pigtail and wore the clothes of a retainer of the Bael Family. Her black eyes scanned the room before she bowed slightly at the two Maō.

"I come at your summons, Maō-sama." she said in a quiet respectful voice.

"You have my thanks, Chiaki-chan." Sirzechs nodded, "Your former-Queen, Mei Schwarzwald, has attacked two Fallen Angel institutions and has declared her intent to steal the Sekiryūtei's _**[Boosted Gear]**_. Issei-kun and my sister, as well as the rest of her Peerage and Sona Sitri's Peerage, need to hear Mei's story from one who knew her. Will you help us in this?"

"Mei-nee-sama…" the girl breathed, "I'll help you, Maō-sama, but then I'm going to track her down and avenge my sisters!"

She turned to the rest of the room. "My name is Amakusa Chiaki, formerly a Pawn in Amadeus Bael's Peerage, and the only survivor of Mei Schwarzwald's massacre. I will tell you her story, as much as I know of it, as she told it to me."

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**Next Chapter: Third Move: Queen**

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